January 28
Events *1077 - Walk to Canossa: The excommunication of Henry IV is lifted. *1521 - Diet of Worms begins, lasting until May 25. *1547 - Henry VIII dies. His nine year old son, Edward VI becomes King, and the first Protestant ruler of England. *1573 - Articles of Warsaw Confederation are signed, sanctioning freedom of religion in Poland. *1754 - Horace Walpole, in a letter to Horace Mann, coins the word serendipity. *1624 - Sir Thomas Warner founds the first British colony in the Caribbean, on Saint Kitts. *1724 - The Russian Academy of Sciences was founded in St. Petersburg by Peter the Great, and implemented in the Senate decree. It was called St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences until 1917. *1760 - Pownal created by Benning Wentworth as one of the New Hampshire Grants. *1813 - Pride and Prejudice is first published in the United Kingdom. *1820 - Russian expedition led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev discovered the Antarctic continent approaching the Antarctic coast. *1846 - Battle of Aliwal, India won by British troops commanded by Sir Harry Smith. *1855 - The first locomotive runs from the Atlantic to the Pacific on the Panama Railway. *1871 - Franco-Prussian War: Siege of Paris ends in French defeat and an armistice. *1878 - Yale Daily News becomes the first daily, college newspaper in the United States. *1887 - In a snowstorm at Fort Keogh, Montana, the world's largest snowflakes are reported, being 15 inches (38 cm) wide and 8 inches (20 cm) thick. *1902 - The Carnegie Institution is founded in Washington with a $10 million gift from Andrew Carnegie. *1909 - United States troops leave Cuba with the exception of Guantanamo Bay Naval Base after being there since the Spanish-American War. *1915 - An act of the U.S. Congress creates the United States Coast Guard. *1916 - Louis D. Brandeis becomes the first Jew appointed to the United States Supreme Court. *1917 - Municipally owned streetcars take to the streets of San Francisco. *1918 - Finnish Civil War: Rebels seized control of the capital, Helsinki, and members of the Senate of Finland go underground. *1921 - A symbolic Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is installed beneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to honour the unknown dead of World War I. *1922 - Knickerbocker Storm, Washington DC's biggest snowfall, causes Washington DC's greatest loss of life when the roof of the Knickerbocker Theater collapses. *1932 - Japanese forces attack Shanghai. *1933 - The name Pakistan is coined by Choudhary Rehmat Ali Khan and is accepted by the Indian Muslims who then thereby adopted it further for the Pakistan Movement seeking independence. *1934 - The first ski tow in America begins operation in Vermont. *1935 - Iceland becomes the first Western country to legalize therapeutic abortion. *1938 - The World Land Speed Record on a public road is broken by driver Rudolf Caracciola in the Mercedes-Benz W195. *1945 - World War II: Supplies begin to reach the Republic of China over the newly reopened Burma Road. *1946 - Bluenose, Canada's greatest sailing ship, founders on a Haitian reef. *1953 - Derek Bentley hanged for a murder carried out by Christopher Craig. *1958 - Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate begin their murder spree with the killings of her parents and infant sister. *1980 - USCGC Blackthorn collides with the tanker Capricorn while leaving Tampa Bay Florida and capsizes; killing 23 Coast Guard crewmembers. *1982 - US Army general James L. Dozier is rescued by Italian anti-terrorism forces after 42 days of captivity under the Red Brigades. .]] *1986 - Space Shuttle program: STS-51-L mission (Space Shuttle Challenger disaster) - Space Shuttle Challenger breaks apart 73 seconds after liftoff killing all seven astronauts onboard, including Christa McAuliffe, who was supposed to be the first teacher in space. *1994 - The first trial of accused murderer Lyle Menendez ends in a mistrial. He and his brother Erik are later found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without parole. *1998 - Gunmen hold at least 400 children and teachers hostage for several hours at an elementary school in Manila, Philippines. *2002 - TAME Flight 120, a Boeing 727-100 crashes in the Andes mountains in southern Colombia killing 92. *2004 - Lord Hutton publishes his report into the death of UN weapons inspector Dr. David Kelly. Births *1312 - Queen Joan II of Navarre (d. 1349) *1457 - King Henry VII of England (d. 1509) *1540 - Ludolph van Ceulen, German mathematician (d. 1610) *1582 - John Barclay, Scottish writer (d. 1621) *1600 - Pope Clement IX (d. 1669) *1608 - Giovanni Alfonso Borelli, Italian physiologist and physicist (d. 1679) *1611 - Johannes Hevelius, astronomer (d. 1687) *1622 - Adrien Auzout, French astronomer (d. 1691) *1701 - Charles Marie de La Condamine, French mathematician and geographer (d. 1774) *1706 - John Baskerville, English printer (d. 1775) *1712 - Tokugawa Ieshige, Japanese shogun (d. 1761) *1717 - Mustafa III, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1774) *1719 - Johann Elias Schlegel, German critic and poet (d. 1749) *1755 - Samuel Thomas von Sömmering, German physician (d. 1830) *1784 - George Hamilton Gordon Aberdeen, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1860) *1822 - Alexander Mackenzie, 2nd Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1892) *1833 - Charles George 'Chinese' Gordon, British soldier and administrator (d. 1885) *1841 - Henry Morton Stanley, Welsh-born explorer and journalist (d. 1904) *1853 - José Martí, Cuban revolutionary (d. 1895) *1855 - William Seward Burroughs I, American inventor (d. 1898) *1864 - Charles W. Nash, co-founder of Nash Motors, which would become American Motors as well as co-founder of Buick (d. 1948) * 1864 - Herbert Akroyd Stuart, English engineer - inventor of the first compression ignition engine (d. 1927) *1865 - Lala Lajpat Rai, Indian freedom fighter (d. 1928) * 1865 - Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg, first president of Finland (d. 1952) *1873 - Colette, French writer (d. 1954) *1874 - Vsevolod Meyerhold, Russian theatre director (d. 1940) *1879 - Francis Picabia, French-born painter and poet (d. 1953) *1880 - Herbert Strudwick, English cricketer (d. 1970) *1884 - Auguste Piccard, Swiss physicist (d. 1962) *1886 - Marthe Bibesco, Romanian writer (d. 1973) *1887 - Arthur Rubinstein, Polish pianist and conductor (d. 1982) *1890 - Robert Stroud, American convict, the Birdman of Alcatraz (d. 1963) *1891 - Bill Doak, American baseball player (d. 1954) *1892 - Ernst Lubitsch, German-born film director (d. 1947) *1897 - Valentin Kataev, Russian writer (d. 1986) *1899 - Elias Simojoki, Finnish clergyman and politician (d. 1940) *1903 - Aleksander Kamiński, Polish writer (d. 1978) *1908 - Paul Misraki, French composer and songwriter (d. 1998) *1910 - John Banner, Austrian actor (d. 1973) * 1910 - Arnold Moss, American actor (d. 1989) *1912 - Jackson Pollock, American painter (d. 1956) *1918 - Harry Corbett, English puppeteer (Sooty) (d. 1989) *1922 - Robert W. Holley, American biochemist, Nobel Laureate (d. 1993) *1927 - Ronnie Scott, British jazz tenor saxophonist and jazz club owner (d. 1996) * 1927 - Hiroshi Teshigahara, Japanese director (d. 2001) *1929 - Acker Bilk, English jazz clarinetist * 1929 - Claes Oldenburg, Swedish-born artist *1933 - Jack Hill, American film director *1934 - Juan Manuel Bordeu, Argentine racing driver (d. 1990) * 1934 - Mitr Chaibancha, Thai actor (d. 1970) *1935 - David Lodge, English author *1936 - Ismail Kadare, Albanian writer *1936 - Alan Alda, American actor, writer, and director *1938 - Leonid Zhabotynsky, Ukrainian weightlifter *1941 - Joel Crothers, American actor (d. 1985) *1943 - Paul Henderson, Canadian ice hockey player *1944 - John Tavener, English composer *1945 - Robert Wyatt, English musician *1948 - Mikhail Baryshnikov, Russian dancer * 1948 - Charles Taylor, President of Liberia *1950 - Barbi Benton, American actress * 1950 - Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah, King of Bahrain *1951 - Brian Bilbray, American politician * 1951 - Leonid Kadeniuk, Ukrainian cosmonaut *1953 - Colin Campbell, Canadian ice hockey player and executive * 1953 - Chris Carter, English musician (Throbbing Gristle, Chris & Cosey) *1954 - Rick Warren, American pastor and author *1955 - Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France *1957 - Mark Napier, Canadian ice hockey player *1959 - Frank Darabont, American filmmaker * 1959 - Randi Rhodes, American personality * 1959 - Dave Sharp, Welsh guitarist (The Alarm) *1960 - Robert von Dassanowsky, American cultural historian, writer, and producer *1961 - Normand Rochefort, Canadian ice hockey player *1962 - Sam Phillips, American singer *1963 - Dan Spitz, American musician, guitarist for Anthrax *1965 - Lynda Boyd, American actress *1968 - Sarah McLachlan, Canadian singer and songwriter * 1968 - DJ Muggs, American musician (Cypress Hill) * 1968 - Rakim, born William Michael Griffin Jr., American rapper *1969 - Kathryn Morris, American actress * 1969 - Mo Rocca, American writer and comedian * 1969 - Linda Sanchez, American politician *1972 - Nicky Southall, English footballer *1974 - Tony Delk, American basketball player * 1974 - Jermaine Dye, American baseball player * 1974 - Magglio Ordóñez, Venezuelan baseball player *1975 - David Zingler, American writer * 1975 - Anne Montminy, Canadian Olympic diver * 1975 - Lee Latchford-Evans, English singer * 1975 - Junior Spivey, American baseball player * 1975 - Terri Colombino, American Actress *1976 - Mark Madsen, American basketball player * 1976 - Jarrod Montague, American drummer (Taproot) * 1976 - Lee Ingleby, British actor * 1976 - Miltiadis Sapanis, Greek footballer * 1976 - Emiko Kado, Japanese professional wrestler (d. 1999) *1977 - Daunte Culpepper, American football player * 1977 - Joey Fatone, American singer (*NSYNC) * 1977 - Matt DeVries, American guitarist (Chimaira) * 1977 - Takuma Sato, Japanese Formula One driver * 1977 - Lyle Overbay, American baseball player *1978 - Gianluigi Buffon, Italian footballer * 1978 - Jamie Carragher, English footballer * 1978 - Papa Bouba Diop, Senegalese footballer *1979 - Pixie, English model * 1979 - Ali Boulala, Swedish skateboarder *1980 - Nick Carter, American singer (Backstreet Boys) * 1980 - Jesse James Hollywood, American drug dealer and fugitive *1981 - Rick Razzano, American football player * 1981 - Elijah Wood, American actor *1984 - Andre Iguodala, American basketball player *1985 - Arnold Mvuemba, French footballer *1986 - Jessica Ennis, English heptathlete *1988 - Henry Mortensen, American actor Deaths * 814 - Charlemagne (b. 742) *1061 - Duke Spytihněv II of Bohemia (b. 1031) *1271 - Isabella of Aragon, queen of Philip III of France (b. 1247) *1443 - Robert le Maçon, Chancellor of France *1547 - King Henry VIII of England (b. 1491) *1596 - Sir Francis Drake, English explorer and soldier *1599 - Cristofano Malvezzi, Italian composer (b. 1547) *1613 - Thomas Bodley, English diplomat and library founder (b. 1545) *1621 - Pope Paul V (b. 1550) *1681 - Richard Allestree, English royalist churchman (b. 1619) *1672 - Pierre Séguier, Chancellor of France (b. 1588) *1687 - Johannes Hevelius, Polish astronomer (b. 1611) *1697 - John Fenwick, English conspirator *1725 (O.S.) - Tsar Peter I of Russia, (b. 1672) *1754 - Ludvig Holberg, Norwegian historian and writer (b. 1684) *1832 - Augustin Daniel Belliard, French general (b. 1769) *1859 - Frederick John Robinson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1782) *1864 - Émile Clapeyron, French engineer and physicist (b. 1799) *1903 - Augusta Holmès, French composer (b. 1847) *1912 - Gustave de Molinari, Belgian economist (b. 1819) *1915 - Nikolay Umov, Russian physicist (b. 1846) *1918 - John McCrae, Canadian poet (b. 1872) *1935 - Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov, Russian composer (b. 1859) *1937 - Anastasios Metaxas, Greek architect and shooter (b. 1862) *1938 - Bernd Rosemeyer, German racecar driver (b. 1909) *1939 - William Butler Yeats, Irish writer, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1865) *1949 - Jean-Pierre Wimille, French race car driver (b. 1908) *1950 - Nikolai Luzin, Russian mathematician (b. 1883) *1951 - Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, president of Finland (b.1867) *1953 - James Scullin, 9th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1876) * 1953 - Derek Bentley (b. 1933) (executed) *1960 - Zora Neale Hurston, American author (b. 1891) *1963 - Gustave Garrigou, French cyclist (b. 1884) *1965 - Tich Freeman, English cricketer (b. 1888) * 1965 - Maxime Weygand, French soldier (b. 1867) *1971 - Donald Winnicott, British psychoanalyst (b. 1896) *1973 - John Banner, Austrian actor (b. 1910) *1983 - Billy Fury, British singer (b. 1940) * 1983 - Frank Forde, 15th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1890) *1986 - Crew of Space Shuttle Challenger: **Greg Jarvis (b. 1944) **Christa McAuliffe (b. 1948) **Ronald McNair (b. 1950) **Ellison Onizuka (b. 1946) **Judith Resnik (b. 1949) **Francis R. Scobee (b. 1939) **Michael J. Smith (b. 1945) *1988 - Klaus Fuchs, German physicist (b. 1911) *1991 - Red Grange, American football player (b. 1903) *1994 - Hal Smith, American actor (b. 1916) *1996 - Joseph Brodsky, Russian-born poet, Nobel Laureate (b. 1940) * 1996 - Jerry Siegel, American cartoonist (b. 1914) * 1996 - Burne Hogarth, American cartoonist (b. 1911) *1999 - Markey Robinson, Irish painter (b. 1918) * 1999 - Torgny T:son Segerstedt, Swedish sociologist and philosopher (b. 1908) *2001 - Curt Blefary, American baseball player (b. 1943) *2002 - Astrid Lindgren, Swedish author (b. 1907) *2004 - Lloyd M. Bucher, U.S. Navy officer (b. 1927) * 2004 - Don Cholito, Puerto Rican radio host (b. 1923) * 2004 - Elroy Hirsch, American football player (b. 1923) * 2004 - Don Stansauk, American professional wrestler (b. 1936) * 2004 - Joe Viterelli, American actor (b. 1937) *2005 - Jim Capaldi, English singer and songwriter (b. 1944) * 2005 - Karen Lancaume, French actress (suicide) (b. 1973) * 2005 - Jacques Villeret, French actor (b. 1951) *2006 - Yitzchak Kaduri, rabbi (b. around 1900) * 2006 - Henry McGee, English comedian (b. 1929) *2007 - Carlo Clerici, Swiss professional road racing cyclist (b. 1929) * 2007 - Father Robert Drinan, Roman Catholic Priest and American politician (b. 1920) * 2007 - Karel Svoboda, Czech composer of popular music (b. 1938) * 2007 - Hsu Wei Lun, Taiwanese actress (b. 1978) * 2007 - Yelena Romanova, Russian athlete (b. 1963) * 2007 - Emma Tillman, the world's oldest living person from January 24-28, 2007 Holidays and observances * Catholicism - Feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas * World Leprosy Day * January 28 * Ashura External links * BBC: On This Day * * On This Day in Canada ---- Category:January